Called to Serve, Part 3 November 7, 2011
“Wait a second. What about the Holy Spirit? Aren’t youleaving Him out of this whole discussion?” The challenge came, not once buttwice, from friends who read last week’s column where I forcefully argued thatGod’s call is not a feeling. And if two people said it, I’m sure probablytwenty people thought it.
It’s a great question, and it’s exactly the one I washoping you would ask. If God’s call is not a feeling, then how exactly does theSpirit come into play, leading us and guiding us and conveying to us God’scalling on our life?
First and most important, the Spirit leads through theword of God. His voice is a mediated voice; it’s not an unmediated impression,a spontaneous urge, or a random impulse. The Holy Spirit speaks to us throughthe medium of the Bible. Else how can we distinguish between our own desires,temptations from the devil, and the “feeling” of God’s Spirit leading us? Thecommand of Ephesians 5:18 to “be filled with the Spirit” finds its parallel inColossians 3:16, which says “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly.” TheSpirit filling is synonymous with the word dwelling.
People sometimes object at this point that manyindividuals in the Bible received specific direction from God apart from theconveyance of the Bible. He spoke directly to them. To which I respond:“Exactly. He spoke to them, either through a dream, an audible voice, anangelic messenger, etc. He didn’t lead them with mere feelings. Whatever themeans, He conveyed specific propositions to them in unambiguous ways.”Today, we have a whole repository of specific propositions from God: His word,the Bible. When it speaks, He speaks.
Second, the Spirit magnifies Christ. When your intakeof the Bible produces in you a desire to sing Jesus’ praise, to spread His fameto your coworkers and neighbors, to repent of sin and live worthy of yourSavior, or to forsake something for the advancement of Jesus’ kingdom, you canrest assured that you are hearing the call of the Spirit.
And finally (for this column), the Spirit disrupts ourcomfort. If you’re hearing a summons to risk, if you’re being stretched, or ifyou’re moving outside your comfort zone, there’s a good chance God’s Spirit isat work. His call always beckons us to humbleourselves, give up control, and let Him take over.